Less than two weeks remain in the marking period. Today you will check your progress report and complete and submit any missing assignments. Then you will go back to the Street Art project. You must post a concept sketch and written project proposal before starting on good paper.

Your 2nd Marking Period Grade is based on the following:

Projects (60%)

Infographic planning sketch and written concept (posted to blog)

Final infographic (must include a written artist statement of a minimum of 150 words to receive a grade)

Street art planning sketch and written concept (posted to blog)

Participation (40%)

Daily infographic progress blog posts

Jean-Michel Basquiat response

Keith Haring response

Today we will:

Complete and submit any missing assignments

Continue working on the street art project. You must post a concept sketch and written project proposal before starting on the final project paper. Yolie and Bayleigh have excellent project proposals.

Today you will come up with a concept for your street art project. You will create a concept sketch, photograph it, and post it to your blog, along with a paragraph describing your intended project.

Here is an example I created with Prismacolors. If you choose to do something this small/simple, you should create a series of 3 separate pieces meant to be displayed together:

Project requirements:

Communicates a message (you may choose to use words, symbols, or simply create a scene that tells a story)

Acrylic paint or Prismacolor colored pencil on black tar paper

Size of the artwork ties fits the concept and medium, but no smaller than 12×12″ and no larger than 18×24.” Generally, if you plan to use colored pencils, lean towards a smaller size, and if you plan to paint, consider the 18×24″ size.

Displays appropriate complexity for 11th and 12th grade work. (While it is ok to create technically simple work such as Keith Haring’s, if you choose to go this route, your work should be polished, show solid craftsmanship and understanding of the elements and principles of design, and be conceptually sophisticated.) A “project” that is completed in a fraction of the allotted time will not receive a passing grade.

This marking period, you will be graded on the following:

Basquiat blog post

Haring blog post

Project Proposal & Concept Sketch blog post

Next marking period, you will be graded on the final project, as well as on another project that we will start in February.

Today we will:

Create a concept sketch

Publish a new blog post with the following:

A photograph of your concept sketch

The answers to the following questions:

What message are you trying to communicate?

What materials will you use?

Describe the style (colors, line quality, level of detail, etc).

How large will your artwork be? Why have you chosen this size?

What are some anticipated stumbling blocks or potential weaknesses in your project? How do you plan to prevent/resolve these?

Today we will watch a brief movie about another influential 80s street artist, Keith Haring. We will discuss our reactions to the movie and publish a 150-word response to our blogs.

Keith Haring was an American artist and social activist. He moved to New York City in 1978 and befriended fellow emerging artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat, who shared his interest in the graffiti art of the city’s streets. Haring began using the city as his canvas, making chalk drawings in subway stations. These graffiti drawings attracted the attention of New York commuters, as well as the city authorities; Haring was arrested for vandalism on numerous occasions.

The energy and optimism of Haring’s art, with its bold lines and bright colors, brought him popularity with a wide audience. In an effort to make his art more accessible, Haring opened a retail store called the Pop Shop in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood in 1986; the shop sold posters, T-shirts and other affordable items featuring Haring’s signature designs. Over the brief span of his career, the artist completed more than 50 public works. In 1988, he was diagnosed with AIDS and shifted the focus of his art to AIDS activism. Keith Haring died in 1990 at the age of 31 of AIDS-related complications, but his art, with its deceptively simple style and its deeper themes of love, death, war and social harmony, continues to appeal strongly to viewers.

Think about the following questions as you watch the movie and write your response:

What are some ways Haring’s art is influenced by Andy Warhol? Why do you think Andy Warhol befriended him?

Legendary art dealer Leo Castelli featured Keith Haring’s work in his gallery around the same time he rejected Baquiat under the premise that he was “too old to deal with such a difficult artist.” What are some differences between Haring’s and Basquiat’s personalities and work that you think may have caused Castelli to make this decision?

Keith Haring says that “the role of the artist in society is to be a kind of antagonist.” What do you think?

This movie was produced in 1989. What are some new perspectives we have 25 years later? Consider the points below:

It does not mention that he was gay or that he died of AIDS, despite the fact that gay rights and AIDS awareness were two the main social issues in his artwork. How do you think these issues would be addressed if the movie was produced today?

One of the critics mentions that the main conflict in the art world in the next 10 years will be the struggle between the old art world’s creation of art for art’s sake and the rise of art for the masses and the creation of art for consumers. One of the questions that repeatedly arose in the movie was whether it is ok for an artist to make an artwork with the intention of creating something that will sell? Do you think this is still controversial? Elaborate.

Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat were friends. Compare their lives, personalities, artwork, creative process, struggles, and young deaths. Who do you relate to more? Why?

How did Keith Haring pave the way for contemporary commercial artists, such as Shepard Fairey, and contemporary street artists, such as Banksy?